The invention relates to a multiple bladder flood control system. More particularly, the invention relates to a flood control system which employs a plurality of vertically stacked bladders, which are normally stored in a subterranean trough, but which are selectively inflatable during a flooding condition to create a barrier to stop advancing flood waters.
Events of recent years have shown just how devastating flooding can be. Although flooding is somewhat expected in coastal regions, these recent events have shown that even those living in desert regions are susceptible to flooding.
Once the water starts rising, there is little that a resident can do to stop the waters from destroying his home.
Probably one of the oldest attempted solutions is to create a wall of sandbags around the property, or adjacent to an overflowing river. Sandbags seek to block rising water by presenting a heavy barrier for the water. However, an effective sand bag barrier requires two things--a lot of sand, and a lot of people to fill the bags and hoist them into place. Thus, an individual homeowner will typically lack the materials and stamina necessary to complete the sandbag wall building task.
In lieu of sandbagging, several devices have been proposed at an attempt at creating different types of inflatable barriers. However, these devices typically fail, since their configuration and anchoring makes them unsuitable for combating the forces inherent in surging flood waters.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.